Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa - Portuguese: Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária) is a state-owned research corporation affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. Since its inception on April 26, 1973,[1] it has been devoted to developing technologies, knowledge and technical-scientific information aimed at Brazilian agriculture, including livestock.[2]

Their mission is to "develop research, development and innovation solutions for the sustainability of agriculture, for the benefit of Brazilian society".

Embrapa's organizational structure is composed of 46 centers that can be divided into Research Units or Service Units, and of 17 Central Units that comprise the corporation's headquarters. Such research centers are distributed throughout the country in nearly all Brazilian states. The corporation currently employs over 9,790 people, of which 2,444 are researchers.

Embrapa is part of the National Agricultural Research System (SNPA - Sistema Nacional de Pesquisa Agropecuária), which also comprises federal and state public institutions, universities, private companies, and foundations, which cooperate to conduct research in different geographical areas and fields of knowledge.[3]

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In terms of international cooperation, Embrapa has bilateral agreements for technical cooperation with a number of countries and institutions, and multilateral agreements with international organizations, especially concerning joint research activities.[4]

It also has established their Labex (Laboratórios Virtuais no Exterior or Virtual Laboratories Abroad) to develop research and prospect trends in the United States, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands and South Korea. There is an office in Ghana to disseminate scientific and technological knowledge in African countries, with plans for future offices in Panama and Venezuela aimed at Latin America.

Embrapa Instrumentation, São Carlos, SP. Research on precision agriculture, biotechnology, process automation, new materials, family farming and family agroindustry, the environment, and the quality of products and raw materials.